How to Claim UIF South Africa: Step-by-Step Guide

By ED •  Updated: 09/30/22 •  4 min read

Life is unpredictable, and often circumstances outside of our control can lead to unfortunate outcomes. In South Africa, amidst a huge battle with COVID-19 and attempts to contain the virus outspread, the country is suffering from increasing rates of unemployment, which has reached 30%. 

Claim UIF South Africa

Being unemployed can be incredibly overwhelming and stressful. To help reduce the potentially devastating effects of not having an income, South Africa has an Unemployment Insurance Fund. 

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has been established to provide short-term relief to workers when they become unemployed or cannot work because of illness, maternity, or adoption leave. 

How UIF is funded

Employers are required by law to register with the UIF. An employer’s duty is to ensure that all employees are registered with the UIF. Each employee then pays 1% of their salary to the fund, and employers match that 1%. So, there is a monthly contribution of 2% to UIF. 

If an employee has been registered and the contributions are paid, then that employee will be able to claim from the fund. 

All employees may claim from the UIF, except for: 

The UIF provides five types of benefits:  

How can an employee claim benefits from the UIF

Step 1: Visit the Department of Labour to sign an unemployment register. You will need documents; the types of documents you need will depend on the benefit you are applying for. Documents include:  

Step 2: It will be necessary to complete and submit a claim form. You can only apply:  

Step 3: Assist the investigation by providing the claims officer with any additional information.  

Step 4: Always follow up on the investigation of your claim and whether or not it claim was approved.  

Step 5: Collection of your claim will be available at the employment office where the claim was submitted or at the employment office indicated on the claim form. 

When an employee can NOT claim UIF

The fund is reserved for employees who have involuntarily lost their jobs or who cannot work due to pregnancy, illness, or the death of an immediate family member. 

This means that you cannot claim if: 

Are you looking to apply for UIF anytime soon? We’ll have some tips for you! Make sure you have all your documents in order. Skips the queues and uses uFiling. 

uFiling is an online system that allows employers to register, proclaim, and payout UIF contributions. The system also enables employees to apply for all UIF claims.